Saraki will not derail Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade – Senators

Members of “The Like Minds Senators”, Wednesday, gave assurances that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will work towards the success of the anti–corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The senators, in a statement by their Coordinator, Dino Melaye, also pledged that Saraki would not in any way, be a stumbling block against Buhari’s anti-corruption posture, assuring members of the public that the 8th Senate under him, would give all necessary legislative support to the administration to fight and reduce corruption.

According to the Senators, Saraki’s bold steps against the so-called oil barons in the past, was an indication that he was committed to anti-corruption, describing as mischievous and totally false, insinuations in some quarters that the election of Saraki as senate president was sponsored and facilitated by some corrupt Nigerians, who are oil barons.

The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it abundantly clear that it is totally false, untrue and a calculated mischief to suggest that Senator Saraki’s emergence as senate president was facilitated by oil barons.

“This is a case of calling the dog a bad name so as to hang it. That is another blatant lie that cannot fly. Senator Bukola Saraki is determined and focused to achieve the Senate targeted legislative agenda and he is committed to supporting President Buhari to deliver on his promises to the people of Nigeria”.

The Senators also added that Saraki, as Chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee in the 7th Senate, exposed the fraud and mismanagement in the oil sector, adding that “until Saraki’s motion on the floor of the senate, no one was in the picture of the rot in the sector.

“Surely, Senator Saraki will be the last person the oil baron will want to see as Senate President.

“In that position, Saraki did not only lead his colleagues in exposing the rot in the scheme but made very strong recommendations on how the system could be reformed and made corruption-free.

“Further to this, during the Senate hearing on the missing $20bn, for those who attended the public hearing, Saraki led the onslaught of difficult questions to the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum and other federal agencies despite being in the ruling party then.

“To this effect, Saraki refused to sign the final copy of the committee’s report but rather put forward a minority report with a press statement that followed suit.